Robert Oliver’s Spiced Bean Salad
INGREDIENTS
200 gm long/snake beans
200 gm yellow beans
1/2 cup bora beans, cooked
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes or quartered small plum tomatoes
1 cup fresh grated coconut, toasted
1/4 bunch chopped coriander
1/2 cups roasted peanuts
2 cooked papadam
1/2 cup plain oil
1/4 cup curry powder
4 cloves sliced garlic
3 tbsp ginger slivers
2 tbsp turmeric slivers
1 handful curry leaves
2 limes
Sea salt and black pepper
METHOD
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil
- Trim the beans to an even length and rinse them well
- Blanch the beans, take care not to overcook
- Drain in a colander and run cold water over them to stop cooking
- Pat the beans dry. Beans tend to retain water that then leaks out later, making for a soggy salad if the beans are not well dried.
- Heat the oil
- Add the curry powder, then the garlic, turmeric and ginger
- When just cooked, remove from heat
- Season well with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
- Let cool
- Add the lime juice - this is your dressing
- Mix the cooked beans in a bowl with the tomatoes, bora beans and peanuts
- Add enough dressing to just coat
- Add the coriander
- Season well with salt and pepper and place in your serving dish
- Top with toasted coconut
- Crumble over cooked papadams and pan fried curry leaves as a crunchy topping
Tried this recipe at home? Let us know what you think!